Nuno Tavares in action for SL Benfica. (imago Images)
According to a report by football.london, Portuguese left-back, Nuno Tavares, is set to complete a move to Arsenal. An agreement in principle is reached with his current side, SL Benfica. The defender, alongside midfielder Sambi Lokonga, are expected to be at The Emirates for the next season.
Tavares also attracted the interest of Napoli, Southampton, as well as Brighton and Hove Albion. But it seems that the Gunners have beaten the trio to the youngster’s signature. With Arsenal looking to regain their status as a top-4 Premier League club, we see why the potential signing of Tavares is a wise move by the club’s chiefs.
Arsenal have the talented Kieran Tierney who is trusted in the left-back position by Mikel Arteta. The Scottish international was bought from Celtic in the summer of 2019. And since then, he has become a mainstay in Arsenal’s defence, featuring in 38 games in all competitions for his club this season.
But the 24-year-old is not without his injury troubles in the past year. If he was to have fitness problems again next season, the Gunners would have struggled to find a natural replacement for him. Apart from that, his manager fielded him as a centre-back a number of times during the campaign, showcasing the lack of depth in his defence.
In games where he wasn’t available, midfielder Granit Xhaka was tasked with playing on the left flank. And even the Swiss international could be on his way out in the summer, with Sky Sports stating that AS Roma are in advanced talks for him. Bukayo Saka, who has played as a left-back, is also not a natural left-back.
To add to their problems, out-of-favour defender Sead Kolasinac, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, are likely to leave the club as well (h/t ESPN). This creates a very problematic situation for the Gunners going into the next season, and chasing Tavares from Portugal is a commendable response to that.
The 21-year-old left-back, according to the report, fits the profile Arsenal were looking for – a young understudy for Kieran Tierney. The youngster has already racked up 41 senior appearances for Benfica, scoring 1 goal and assisting 7 times. He has also deputized at right-back when needed.
That versatility would come in handy for Arteta. On top of that, the aforementioned fee is also reasonable. For a club like Arsenal, strengthening the squad should be a priority every season rather than weakening it. In that regard, Tavares would undoubtedly add strength and depth to their team.
At just 21, he also has a long way to go before he becomes a finished product. He can be eased into the team during the first few seasons and he can then start challenging Tierney for regular starts, something that each manager wants in his side. Moreover, if he signs, Arteta may not have to play players out of position at left-back anymore.
